It is rare to find a Cuban who does not know a poem by Jose Marti, at least some bits and pieces of these simple verses that we memorize in elementary school. From the time we are tiny, at the morning assemblies in school, in Spanish classes, and in every political event we attended, we hear countless times the lyrics of this national hero. We are saturated by his person to the point where many identify him with the existing order of things and have even gone so far as to vandalize his busts in the poorest areas where the power frequently fails and there is not enough food.
But to return to the poetry of this man whom Cubans call "the Apostle," his most famous poems in particular have an almost childlike tone, full of ribbons and flowers and images, as in one with the title of "The Little Pink Shoes." Every child under ten can rattle off its eight-syllable lines and narrate the story told in verse. But they have also learned to declaim some of the many parodies of the poem, particularly the political ones that ridicule the system.
In fact, Marti is the most parodied of our authors, which is not a rebuke, but proof of the familiarity people have with his work. Among the many jokes fed by the work of this universal Havanan, are take-offs on "The Little Pink Shoes," in which the protagonist, Pilar, meets a poor little sick girl on the seashore. Without asking her mother, the rich girl takes off her shoes and gives them to the little pauper. She completes the generous gesture with, "Here, take mine, I have more at home."
This brief verse, written almost 150 years ago, is now an infinite source of jokes, parodies and imitations. It is used to mark the social differences that are becoming more evident and traumatic in a society where the official discourse continues to speak of equality.
The joke that has most taken hold among students, obliged to wear school uniforms, turns on the ability of determine everyone's purchasing power by looking at their feet. Although one of the most repeated government slogans is that on this Island there are no children walking the streets barefoot, the big question is where do parents get the money so that their children don't beat their heels against the asphalt. It's enough to look at the display windows and see the high prices for shoes to realize that based only on a salary -- as paid by the State -- no one can afford them.
These days the drama of children's shoes becomes more poignant, given the start of school and the overcrowding in the markets. It's not unexpected, then, that the parody of Jose Marti's poem is on everyone's lips, particularly because on the first day of classes hundreds of eyes will look to see what is below the pants and skirts.
The cost of the cheapest pair of shoes is equivalent to the average monthly wage of any worker. Thus, we must choose between living for thirty days or providing our children with a pair of sneakers, sandals or boots. Luckily people don't give in, and nearly everyone does something illegal to make sure their kids can head off to school fat and happy.
There are also generous family or friends who donate hand-me-down clothes or shoes to those who need them more. Those who have no clandestine business, divert resources from the State of appeal to family who live on the other side of the Straits of Florida. Ironically, it is the exiles who show the unreality of the official propaganda. The phrases echoing off the political billboards are sustained by the millions of dollars that enter the country each year through remittances.
But the parody of Marti's poem does not attack those with better shoes thanks to the effort or inventiveness of their families, but others who have obtained them by way of privilege. "Here, take mine, I have more at home," they whisper sarcastically at the son of colonel or of some trusted diplomat sent on foreign missions. And here the caricature of Pilar is invoked again and again, with her generosity, when someone brags about owning something that ordinary Cubans can barely dream of.
The teenage grandson of a general, for example, driving his own car, will be the target of the charming verse, as he boasts of his four wheels and their blazing tires. It is also a way of saying: we are watching, we know that everything you are showing off today comes by way of ideological loyalty. Sometimes it's enough to say, "Yes, I know, you have more at home," for the boastful to feel exposed and the vain to understand the ephemeral nature of the crumbs that come from power.
Because history is full of irony, and has a way of making fun of everything and everybody. The nineteenth century lyricism is changed, by grace of need and with humor, into verbal material for ridicule, the sweet revenge of those who have less. And at some distant point, the taciturn face of Marti, is thinking of his Pilar with her ribbons and straw hat, would be remembered as an example of goodness, not used as the point of a spear against the false discourse of egalitarianism.
Photo: MJ Porter, Translator
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Castrofascism uses the old educational-health system inherited of democracy before castro-batista tyranny to produce not doctors but slaves, slaves used for profiting with theirs slave work. Each one of those slaves-doctors report thousands of dollars monthly to regime but regime pays them less than $30 / month........ most Cubans studding medicine chose this carrier because they know they will have an opportunity to escape regime once they are sent as slaves abroad.
If you not believe Yoani, CNN, FOX, Al-Jazeera, who then you will believe?????...... castrofascism, the killer of tens of thousands Cubans and hundreds of thousand people around the world, the jailer of hundred of thousand Cubans, the repressor of millions, the tyranny that committed all kind of crimes to keep the power and get rich?????
To receive a free medical degree is not needed to suffer a criminal tyranny for 50 years..... we Cubans had free medical assistance, education, and many more social benefits that placed us ahead most countries in the world and we had a democracy ...... before castro-batista regime.
Because they live their lives in servitude to work in those countries, many doctors in such medical missions defect to freedom. About 8,000 health workers, many of them physicians, have left Cuba in the last ten years.
The shoe industry produced 15 million pairs of shoes in 1956, of which 10.5 million were of leather, for a population of 6.6 million . 80% of the row material used by the shoe industry was of national origin. Among the more famous shoe factories for their quality were Amadeo, Bulnes and Ingelmo, which were sold in New York, Paris, Rome and Madrid best shoe stores.
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph
I have more shoes at home!”
‘tis not the lack of shoes that wounds,
Since art and craft may fashion footwear from a myriad things.
Far more a scarcity of thought,
that to this place and circumstance our diverse family brings.
So take, take pause, a pace or two,
to try for size those imprints in the sand.
There is good sun and there isn’t foam nor soap to wash
and Pilar wants to buy in the shopping with a yuma.
Go my divine girl, the father says and give her a peso.
What I want that for? if everything is bought in fula
I go with my beautiful girl, says the good mother.
let go to the street to jinetear any thing.
Both very happy went by 23 street
the mother made out with a Gallego and Pilar with a French.
The beach look very pretty, how they stole in the beach!
they robbed the towel of the jinetera Florinda.
And poor Magdalena with six months of pregnancy,
they whacked her to steal her chain.
Alberto, the military man is taking a boat to the sea,
and with all the luggage to go sailing
Alberto, Alberto, wait shouts the beautiful girl,
and Pilar climb on the boat that moves away of the coast.
Go ahead, the mother says, leave and go sailing
and send me many things to speculate.
And says a butterfly who saw the boat set sail
“Now if I could buy pink shoes.”
yuma = american
fula = peso Cubano
jinetera = hooker
It is too bad the Cubans do not have a monopoly on it.
Of course, the mentality of those who go around checking feet and passing judgement deserves some questioning, not to mention school uniforms as educational need.
I was in jail in Cuba for 12 years for fighting castrofascism....... by the way....... what do you think I am doing here????...... this is my way of fight,
The Cubans in the island doesn’t need any external help it has been proven through the scattered opportunities the dictatorship relaxed the hard regulation over the private initiative. Each time it happen the people self solved all their problems without the government involving. The farmers produced all food the people needed; the markets were full with vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, etc. Small industries proliferated everywhere and the vendors found theirs stands full of shoes, cloths, deodorants and all kind articles long time ago vanished from the market.
But in the same way dictatorship is afraid of information is also afraid of richness, even if this richness is account in thousands and not in millions. Because richness means independence and insubordination and leftist dictatorships needs for surviving the people’s dependence and subordination.
So, why you don’t try to convince Castro to lift his own and hard embargo on the Cuban people?
I have never seen fat persons in Somalia or Eritrea either ..........
Tourist or regime sympathizer invited by regime will never know the real Cuba. They will not give you time to visit the rest of Cuba and will keep you in the touristic zone. This touristic zone is at same time the zone where the elite live. Neighborhood that runs along the sea like "El Vedado", "New Vedado", "Miramar" and a little bit of "Central Havana", the children you see there are the children of castrofascism thugs. This is just less than 5% of Havana, the other 95% are marginal zone, where lives most of Havana's 2 million inhabitants......... next time you visit Havana try to escape to neighborhoods like "Cerro", "Sitios", "Pogolotti", "Lisa", "Lawton", "Vivora", etc.